Chasing Cars
by StBerryForever
Summary: When a terrible accident leaves Rachel's life hanging in the balance, Jesse comes back - but soon learns that nothing is the same anymore. Especially when the guilty one isn't just a stranger - she's Rachel's friend.  And everythings falling to pieces.
1. Black Ice preface

**A/N: This is an idea I just came up with randomly - this story will probably be quite angsty, I can't promise a happy ending.**

**Hope you like it. :)**

_**Preface**_

Raindrops pelted my face as I ran through the carpark. I could just make out the outline of Finn's car, getting further away until I could no longer see it. I was an idiot - why the hell didn't I take the oppurtunity to get a lift home with him?

Of course, the weather forecast turns out to be totally wrong on the _one day _I didn't drive to school. Looking up at the black sky, leaves dancing through the air, lightening flashing - I wondered, what _happened _to 'cloudy, light breeze, showers late afternoon'?

There were two reasons I declined Finn's offer. One, I had a fear of driving in this weather - yeah, _walking _in this weather isn't dangerous either. Its not like a tree could fall on me or anything. The second reason was that, after nearly three years, I still felt awkward around him. After he so graciously dumped me in the Christmas tree lot, we hadn't rekindled our relationship. Or our friendship, for that matter.

Things were civil between us, we didn't hate eachother or anything - but he just wasn't _Finn _anymore. He wasn't the sweet, if stupid, boy I fell in love with years ago. He was an unrecognisable teenager, into girls and leather jackets, flash cars and sex.

I shook my head at my stupidity as I attempted to make out shapes in the swirling blackness. I should've stayed at school after Glee club, I could've waited until morning when the storm was over. Except storms like these sometimes last for days. No one would be at school if it did, and my parents wouldn't be able to contact me - power was out. Anyway, I had no clue where my mobile phone was anyway.

I didn't have the same bedazzled phone anymore. I now had a sleek, black, state of he art touch screen, mostly used by big-shot lawers or business men.

Or _future Broadway stars, _I reminded myself. Though I had grown up in many ways, I still held onto that dream.

I suddenly thought I could see a car in the distance. I squinted at it, wondering if it was just my eyes playing tricks on me.

_Great, Rachel. Now is so not the time to consider glasses, and if I need them like Dad thinks I do._

Except this car wasn't getting smaller like Finn's. It was getting _bigger. _

Out of nowhere, it slammed into my legs, knocking my feet out from under me. I shot backwards, as it hit me a second time in the head.

_It hurts, _I thought to myself. The car had stopped hitting me, and I heard footsteps, and saw the light of a torch, wincing as it shined in my eyes.

"_Rachel_?" a shocked voice yelped. I moaned, and shut my eyes.

I could feel blood, running down my face, my legs, everywhere. I vaguely heard another voice I knew, telling the first person not to move me, or I would bleed more.

I couldn't feel my legs. But what I did feel was the throbbing pain in my head.

Suddenly, the pain was gone. I was just numb. But the pain was almost _better _- in a sick, twisted way. The pain reminded me I was still alive, btu this numbness made me figure out the truth.

_I'm going to die, _I thought, and waited until the blackness took over.

**A/N: Okay, I know a bit dark there... cliffy, huh? :) I'll update really soon, promise.**

**Liked it? Hated it? Let me know. Btw, you'll find out the driver later. No, its not Jesse. But he'll be here soon...**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Thanks to the response I got to this, not as many reviews as I had hoped for... but loads of favourite storys and alerts! Thanks :)**

**This shows Jesse's reaction to Rachel's accident... and you find out who the driver is...**

_Jesse pov_

"The storm is expected to last up to three days, possibly more. Hospitals around Ohio are swamped with patients, a large number of those casualties caused by ice on the roads..."

The face of the newsreader (the judge at Regionals 2010, two years ago - what was his name? Russell? Rick?) blurred as the power went off. I heard a moan from my fifteen year old sister, Jaime.

"Great. Now it won't be long before phones do the same... how am I supposed to call Nick then? I hate storms..."

"You should be grateful you _have _a phone." Uncle Sam said, grinning at me. "When I was your age..."

I laughed, poking my tounge out when Jaime glared at me. After that, I zoned out - once Uncle Sam got talking, he rarely stopped.

It was a university break, and I had arrived in Ohio two days before. No one had expected this weather, though. If I had known, I probably would've stayed at UCLA.

My darling parents were wintering in Sri Lanka this year (god, forget Bali, who had even _heard _of Sri Lanka?) and once again, their two children were staying with good old Uncle Sam.

I didn't mind - I was in UCLA - but I did feel for Jaime. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised that she was better off with him. She was going to Carmel (even though the house was in the McKinley zone) and she loved her boyfriend.

I was enjoying UCLA, and had made loads of new friends - party animals, most of them.

But the only thing I missed about Ohio, besides my sister and Sam, was Rachel Berry.

If you asked me if I missed Vocal Adrenaline, I would've said no. And it wouldn't have been a lie.

But ask me if I missed Rachel, and I couldn't honestly say no...

VA used to mean everything to me. But after senior year, after I was forced to leave my girlfriend... its meaning was lost.

If I was brave like everyone thought I was, I would've stayed at McKinley. Ignored Shelby's orders, even if it meant losing UCLA.

But I was a coward.

Suddenly I heard Ice Ice Baby, (I'd gone through a faze of liking it again - so what?) my ringtone. I began searching for it in my pocket, but Jaime handed it to me, saying "Interesting choice of music, bro." I just politely smiled at her and nodded, knowing it would annoy her the most.

"Jesse St James speaking," I answered. I could see both Uncle Sam and Jaime roll their eyes.

"Hi, Jesse." said a voice that sounded familiar...

"Mr Schuester?" I asked, shocked. "Well, that _is _a surprise..."

"Cut the crap, St James. Rachels in hospital."

_Mr Schue pov_

When I told Jesse Rachel was hurt, he'd hung up. I'd assumed that meant he didn't care, so I was shocked when I heard his voice.

"Mr Schue!" he called out, and I turned to see him angrily storming down the hall. I didn't answer, so he came right up to me.

"Jesse." I said politely.

"Where is she?" he hissed, his eyes darting around the empty room. I could see his blue eyes, wild, frantic, terrified.

And I felt bad for him. He obviously cared about Rachel. The poor, hurt, girl who'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time tonight...

"You can't see her." I told him suddenly.

He stamped his foot impatiently, like a toddler having a tantrum. "Why the fuck _not?_"

"She's in surgery," I replied, ignoring the foul language - hadn't I told him to 'cut the crap' on the phone?

"For what?"

"You may want to come to where the rest of New Directions are waiting." I told him. "You can sit down."

Surprisingly, he agreed. I led him to the small waiting room that was filled with Glee club, Rachel's dads, and even Principal Figgins were waiting. They tensed up when I entered, but then saw it was me, not a doctor with news.

"Know anything, Mr Schue?" Finn choked out.

I shook my head, and gestured for Jesse to come in. He did slowly, waiting to see the reaction the group would have to him.

Everyone glanced up, but no one said anything. Some people, like Quinn and Brittany, gave him small, tentative smiles. But everyone was to worried to care that the guy who screwed them over two years ago had turned up again.

Jesse seemed shocked - but not disapointed. He walked over to me, in the corner of the room, and slumped in the seat next to me.

"So," he said sadly. "What happened?" His new attitude scared me a little. He had changed so quickly from the angry boy in the hall, now he was a sad, defeated boy with no confidence.

Then it struck me - Jesse wasn't a boy. He was twenty years old.

"Jesse, tell me how UCLA is going for you?"

"Great, until I heard this. By the way, that wasn't my question."

I sighed. "Well, Glee had finished. I asked everyone how they were getting home, and most were driving with someone in their car with them. Like Brittany and Santana, that sort of thing. Finn asked Rachel if she wanted a lift, but she politely declined - everyone assumed she had her own car."

Jesse cut in. "But she had walked." he said, shaking his head.

"Yes. And she planned to do it home. Beats the hell out of me - anyway, she was walking through the carpark alone..."

"Why didn't she make someone go _with_ her?"

"Jesse, if you want the story, stop interrupting. So, then a car hit her, twice by the looks of it. The people in the car rushed out, they had a torch in the glove box, and heard her moan before she blacked out. We hope she didn't feel too much pain, she was bleeding _everywhere._"

I could see Jesse mentally picturing it, and I instantly felt bad for telling him the last bit - Jesse wasn't dumb, and you didn't have to be a genius to know that someone not in pain doesn't moan like that.

"Anyway," I added, before he could think further. "They called an ambulance, but had to wait for longer than usual - the roads are covered in ice. Speaking of ice on the roads, how the hell did you get here so quickly?" I asked, frowning.

"Long story," Jesse replied, impatient now. "Carry on."

"Well, she was taken to the hospital, and taken to surgery straight away."

"What for?" Jesse asked.

"Complicated stuff - she was extremely cold, they needed to get the icicle out before it punctured an organ."

"There was an _icicle _in her stomach?"Jesse asked, horrified.

"Complicated also. The car hit her, and she was pushed up against another car - which had ice all over it. They couldn't move her before the ambulance got here, and... well, thats that story..."

"Oh god." Jesse moaned. "An icicle..."

If he was shocked at that, I didn't know how he was going to handle this next news...

Jesse looked up, as if he was reading my mind. "Who was the driver?" he asked, suddenly.

I stared across the room, at the young girl shaking with tears, her boyfriend comforting her. The rest of Glee club looking on sadly, crying too.

The lump in my throat got bigger. "Tina," I choked out.

**A/N: Good? Bad? Anyway, I was debating whether to make the driver Emma or Tina... and this was my decision, hope you agree... I thought that Tina's so shy and quiet, this is the kind of event that would really change her. I guess the same for Emma though... but Tina is more of a friend to Rachel than Emma.**

**I know, I don't know anything about medicine... turns out watching Greys Anatomy doesn't help, it just gave me the icicle idea... I don't own that, btw...**

**So yeah, review! (please.)**


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